SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly blamed pro-Israel conservatives for the rise of antisemitism across America during an interview with Vanity Fair published on Tuesday.
Tensions arose between Kelly and Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro after he criticized her for refusing to condemn Candace Owens’ conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s assassination during his AmFest speech in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday. After responding to Shapiro, Kelly told Vanity Fair that conservatives who are staunchly pro-Israel, including Shapiro and CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, are “fueling the rise of antisemitism” by allegedly attempting to “censor criticism of of Israel.”
“They are making antisemites,” Kelly said. “Tucker [Carlson] is not making antisemites. They are.”
Shapiro also criticized Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Tucker Carlson and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon for not denouncing Owens. Carlson responded to Shapiro at the conference, stating that he is not inclined to “denounce and deplatform” people at an event honoring Kirk.
Kelly stated that Shapiro is “Israel first” and is willing to divide the conservative movement on that issue. She argued that the modern conservative movement. particularly young conservatives, are turning on Israel.
“Ben is Israel first,” Kelly said. “And I’m sorry, but his behavior has proven that charge to be correct. Why would you divide the American conservative movement—which was gelling, which was becoming much more cohesive for a moment after Charlie died—over Israel!”
The prominent conservative made a similar jab at Weiss, whose website, The Free Press, posted an adapted version of Shapiro’s speech titled, “Ben Shapiro: Only Cowards Tolerate Conspiracy Theorists.”
“It’s this very loud group of pro-Israel activists that is trying to make this the litmus test about whether you get to call yourself a conservative, and they lack standing to do that,” Kelly said. “Bari in particular has made her career on the anti-cancel culture thing. Meanwhile, she’s never been canceled. And she’s basically supporting Ben’s attempt to cancel me from the conservative movement, of which she’s not a part.”
Kelly said during her AmFest appearance that she no longer considers Shapiro a friend in response to his public criticisms. She stated that Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk contacted her weeks before to help facilitate a meeting between her and Owens, to which she obliged.
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